The BT Tower will be converted into a new luxury hotel for London, after telecoms operator BT agreed to sell the iconic landmark for £275 million to US hotel company MCR Hotels.
One of the most recognisable buildings on the London skyline, the BT Tower was first opened in 1965 and used by BT to send microwave signals from London to the rest of the UK. Since the widespread rollout of mobile networks, the tower has no longer been a necessity. There's no official completion date for the hotel, but BT says that the removal of technical equipment from the tower will still take a number of years, during which time MCR will be paying for the site.
At 177-metres tall, the BT Tower was the tallest building in London when it was opened in 1965, until the NatWest Tower was opened in 1980. At one time it featured a revolving restaurant on the top floor, which was open to the public and boasted a 360 degree panorama of the city. In more recent years the tower has been open for one day a year, as part of London’s Open House Festival.
MCR Hotels operates over 150 hotels across the US, including notable destination hotels like the High Line in New York and Sheraton New York Times Square. Building works will preserve the tower’s Grade II-listed features, whilst developing a design plan with architectural studio Thomas Heatherwick. Heatherwick was the designer involved in the design of the Olympic cauldron for the London 2012 Olympic Games, as well plans for the Thames Garden Bridge, which was eventually abandoned.
Speaking about the sale, MCR Hotels CEO, Tyler Morse, said, ‘We are proud to preserve this beloved building and will work to develop proposals to tell its story as an iconic hotel, opening its doors for generations to enjoy.’
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